Sreeshankar Murali saves best for last, wins dramatic long jump at Indian Open World Athletics Continental Tour event in Bhubaneswar

“This is my lucky ground. I crossed my 8m mark here and then achieved my personal best of 8.41m at the same ground during the 2023 Federation Cup. I think this is Bhubaneswar magic, whenever I come here, I do well,” Sreeshankar said after his win.

Until his last jump, it had looked like Sreeshankar would lose to teenager Shahnavaz Khan, who jumped a new personal best of 8.04m. But the experienced Indian brought all his might in the last jump.

Sreeshankar tipped his hat to Shahnavaz for pushing him. “I’m very happy for Shahnavaz also, he did above 8 meters. He’s very young and he has a long way to go. We train together in Trivandrum, we push each other, fight with each other. And we have a very good rapport,” he said in praise of the youngster who was on the brink of pulling off a big upset.

While the event crew had already started wrapping up the logistics, Sreeshankar’s competitors and the crowd stayed back for his last jump. “I knew he would do it. His mindset is different than others, and I was cheering for his last jump,” said Sunny Kumar, one of the participants watching on in the long jump.

For a moment after the last jump, everyone thought that Sreeshankar might have achieved the World Championships qualification mark. He believed so as well, but it wasn’t to be. “I think in the last jump, I took off early. Like way before the foul board and that is why I gained elevation and lost out on distance,” he explained. “However, I am happy with the fact that I was consistent throughout the competition. I did three jumps above 7.90m and didn’t lose my rhythm.”

In the very last jump!

Sreeshankar jumps 8.13m to win the title at the Indian Open World Continental Tour.

A crazy finish to be honest.@IExpressSports pic.twitter.com/lgWw663qDz

— Pritish Raj (@befikramusafir) August 10, 2025

Sreeshankar was appreciative of the crowd that stayed till the end. “It is not always that we see such a crowd in an Athletics event here. I am happy to see an enthusiastic crowd and we need more of it,” he added as he continues his good form after returning from a career-threatening injury. That injury resulted in him missing the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Focus on Worlds

On his return to action, Sreeshankar is having a solid season, winning all four tournaments he has featured in. However, his return in April means that he has had very little time to qualify for the World Championships. Which is why he has become a globetrotter to play in as many high-ranking tournaments as he can. “It is a very hectic schedule for me. This is my third country in ten days and I have to travel more,” he said with a sheepish smile.

Sreeshankar will have another chance at the Inter-State Athletics Championships this month in Chennai. “I am happy with his performance, and the best thing is that he is pain-free and his knee is feeling good,” his father Murali said.

Even otherwise, Sreeshankar is not losing sleep. “I am going to give my best shot at the qualification, but if it doesn’t happen, I will take a break and move on to the next season.”

Javelin draws interest

Neeraj Chopra, India’s foremost track and field star, was not part of the event. But it still wasn’t a surprise that men’s javelin throw drew solid attention from the fans. There was some exciting local talent in the fray, including India’s number 2 Sachin Yadav, Yashvir Singh, Rohit Yadav and the latest entrant to 80m club, Shivam Lohakare. But it was Rumesh Pathirage who stunned a partisan crowd and turned it in his favour with his theatrics after he broke the Sri Lankan National Record with a throw of 86.50m.

The Sri Lankan duo of Rumesh and Sumedha Ranasinghe ramped up the atmosphere, constantly conversing with each other and involving the crowd with every throw. Despite throwing just twice, both finished in the top three with Sumedha recording 80.65m as his best throw. When Sri Lanka were heading for a 1-2, Shivam’s fifth throw increased the decibel level as he managed 80.73m and denied the neighbours.

Returning from an injury, Rohit Yadav looked in decent shape, finishing fourth with 80.35m. Interestingly, the podium had been arranged for not just the regular 1-2-3 spots. There was an additional room for fourth-place finishers too.

The Indian Athletics caravan will move to Chennai, where athletes will have another chance to get a crack at the World Athletics qualification from 20th August.